IIT KGP Alumnus, IIT KGP Foundation US to Build India's First Academy of Leadership
This initiative will place students of IIT Kharagpur on the fast track to be creative problem solvers and inspiring leaders, both in their professional careers and in their communities.
It promises to usher in the next phase of the education process, that is based on ancient philosophies, reasoning, intuitive thinking, besides scientific and technical learning. And some distinguished alumni of Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT-KGP) have come forward (some with funds and some with other forms of facilitation) to shape up India’s maiden Academy of Leadership at their alma mater to ring in the new education system. The academy, according to top IIT KGP officials, aims at developing innovative programmes combining the core curriculum in science and engineering disciplines with philosophy, reasoning, and liberal arts.
Christened as the Partha S. Ghosh Academy of Leadership, will be seed funded for $1 million by distinguished alumnus, a renowned management consultant/strategist and philanthropist Partha S. Ghosh, who is often billed as a “creative problem solver” and a “visionary leader” by government and industry leaders across multiple nations in the Asia Pacific, Europe and the US. Interestingly, the initiative has been facilitated by Ron Gupta, president, IIT Kharagpur Foundation USA, Prof. Subrata Chattopadhyay, dean, alumni affairs and Avinash Gupta Chair Professor at the Dept. of Architecture& Regional Planning, IIT Kharagpur. The IIT Kharagpur Foundation USA will in fact stay involved with the initiative through the entire execution phase. Through its extensive distinguished alumni network, the foundation will also provide visiting faculty to supplement the programme, said Gupta.
“It is indeed an opportune time to expand the scope of the value proposition of the academic excellence at IIT Kharagpur by developing the next phase education process. This is to be based not only on scientific and technical training, but the teachings of ancient philosophies, reasoning, intuitive thinking, systems engineering and the past successes and failures of humanity,” said Prof P P Chakrabarti, director, IIT Kharagpur. He said that this initiative will place students of IIT Kharagpur on the fast track to be creative problem solvers and inspiring leaders, both in their professional careers and in their communities.
Ghosh, currently Professor of Practice at Tufts University and founder-managing director of strategy/policy advisory firm Partha S. Ghosh & Associates, said, “I firmly believe that in the next 25 years the world economy will undergo profound changes which civilization has never experienced before. Industries and governments will need to reinvent the basic tenets of capitalism implying fundamental transformation of industry and economic models.” Prof Ghosh is also a former partner at McKinsey & Company.
Prof Chakrabarti said that under this academy, programmes would be developed to nurture leadership qualities in individuals, organizations and ignite the young minds for a larger goal in life, enable in leaders of various walks and segments of life to share their perspectives and help instill each individual with the power to prosper their leadership potential, making it a vibrant self-sufficient academy with a global reputation.